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G. W. STARR.

(ModeL) COTTON BASKET.

Patented Feb. 28,1882.

ATTORNES.

N. PETERS. Photo-Llmognphar. Washington. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. STARR, OF VIOKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOR' TO 'HIMSELF AND JOSEPH B. GOTTHELF, QF SAME PLACE,

COTTON- BASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent ltTo. 254,401, dated February 28, 1882.

Application filed December 30,1881. (ModeL) I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. STARR, of Vicksburg, county of Warren, and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and Improved top and bottom hoops, the top hoop being provided with swinging bails or arms, the outer ends of which can be passed into sockets form ed in the bottom hoop, whereby the basket can be held erected until it is filled. By means of the swinging bails the basket can be conveniently suspended from a scale-hook.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved folding cotton-basket, showing it erected. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the same on the line 00 00, Fig. 1, showing it filled.

A wide tube or cylinder, A,'made of canvas or other suitable pliable material, is attached to a top hoop or ring, l?, and to a bottom hoop or ring, G, these rings being made of wood or metal, the latter being preferred. The bottom hoop, O, is bent upward in the shape of an M, or a like shape, as shown at F, at two diametrically opposite points, and a metal plate, D, bent in the shape of a letter U, is passed over this bent part of the hoop (J in such a manner that the open end or mouth of the U- shaped plate will be on top, and the curved part uniting the two plate-shanks will rest against the bottom of the hoop G, as shown in Fig. 2. The U-shaped plates are held on the hoop G by means of rivets G, passed through the two plate-shanks directly over the hoop G. The plates D, held over the M-shaped bends F, form fiat sockets H, adapted to receive the outer ends of arms or bails J, formed by a lengthened U-shaped wire or rod, the ends of which are coiled around or hinged to the top hoop, B. The basket is provided with a bottom, L, of wood, canvas, metal, or other suitable material.

The operation is as follows: The basket is raised and the round ends of the bails J are passed into the sockets H, thereby holding the basket in a raised position, as shown in Fig. 1. The basket has now about two-thirds of its entire height. The cotton is filled into the basket and firmly pressed down in the same, and as the basket gradually becomes filled the bails J are drawn out of the sockets H, for when the basket is filled these bails J will not be required to keep it raised. The bails are then swung over the top of the basket, and by means of them the basket is suspended from a scale-hook, K. The basket and its contents can be thus weighed and handled very easily, and the scale-hook need not be passed through the canvas or other sides of the basket, as in the baskets in use heretofore.

The herein-described basket can be folded very compactly, so as to occupy but very little space, so that a large quantity of them can be stored very conveniently.

Having thus described my invcntion,I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A folding cotton-basket made, substantially as herein shown and described, of pliable material, and with sockets and swinging bails or arms on its hoops, as set forth.

2. In a cotton-basket, the combination, with the tubular casing A, made of canvas or other pliable material, of the bottom hoop, l, provided with sockets H, the top hoop, B, and the swinging arms or bails J, attached to this top hoop, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a cotton-basket, the combination, with the pliable tubular casing A,of the bottom hoop, 0, provided with M-shaped bends F, the U-shaped bent plates D, secured over these bends, the top hoop, B, and the swinging arms or bails J, attached to this top hoop. B, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a cottonbasket, the combination, with the pliable tubular casing A, of the bottom hoop, 0, provided with M-shaped bends F, the U-shaped bent plates D, the rivets G, the top hoop, B, and the swinging U-shaped bails or arms J, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

GEORGE WILLIAM STARR. Witnesses;

O. A. RIoE, H. JACKSON. 

